Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-28
The aiagucy Plant

I,
10 one of the most valuable of the
products OF Mexico, and the uses to
which it is put seem almost infinite
in variety. A fugitive paragraph cut
from newspaper furnishes partial
list: 1.-THE maguey seems special
gift of nature to supply the simple
wants of the native. Its coarse cloth |
makes bis first, last and only garment
and its strong rope ties down his cot
fin lid. The hber Of the leaf, beaten
and spun, forms fine and beautiful
thread, glossy as silk in texture
which resembles linen when woven
into fabrics. Ia is manufactured into
coarse cloth, also into paper, bagging
sailcloth, sacking, etc. The rope
made from it is called manila hemp
and it is of uncommon strength and
excellence. Cut into coarse straws
it forms the brooms and whitewash
brushes of the country, and, as a sub
titute for bristles, it is made into
scrub-brooms, busting brushes and
the tiny brushes which take the place
of combs among the poorer people.
Beautiful fancy baskets, money-bags,
purses, sachels and thousand toys,
trinkets and ornaments are woven
from its fiber. If your horse has
sprain or your donkey bruise, a
maguey leaf, pounded and bound up
on the injured member, is certain
cure. The pointed thorns which ter
inmate the gigantic leaves are as
strong as nails and sharp as needles,
aud to this day as in primitive times,
they serve as nails, needles and pins.
Upon paper made of maguey fiber,
the early Mexicans painted their pic
lures, histories and hieroglyphic fig
ures. Every Mexican estate, in Ger
tam districts, cultivates more or less
maguey. The mighty plants answer
for hedges and mark the boundaries
of ranches, two rows with their
enormous leaves and bayonet like
thorns making an impenetrable
fence"
In short, the maguey is food, drink,
clothing, medicine and writing ma
terial for the Mexican. 1t has well
been called "a miracle of nature, and
it is probable that she has never, in
any other way, SO lavishly provided
in so convenient form, anything
=, from which man can produce so many
things to sustain life and add to his
comfort and convenience at home.
One species of the maguey plan
furnish a drink known as "pulque,
which, before fermentation take
place, is not intoxicating and not un
pleasant in taste. 1t presents
!, milky appearance, and is slightly tar
and pungent. Fermentation occur
IN few days after production, AM
pulque then, like hard cider, will pro
duce intoxication if taken in sufficien
quantity. In some localities thi
;. drink is quite as extensively used /
this country as is the malt beer no'
so largely consumed throughout tn
United States. In the city of Mex
: co where the water is of poor qualit
pulque is almost universally use'
=. many persons discarding entirely til
:. water furnished by the city and usin
the unfermented pulque solely as
beverage.
One of the richest citizens of Il
:, Mexican capital realized his immen'
= fortune from the sale of pulque, b.
~ ing proprietor of several retail shol
!, in various quarters of the city. Ii
income is estimated at over $3O,0t
!, per annum. When it is known tn
J. ON an estate of 1000 acres of Il
No. poorest quality of land milli'
plants may be constantly Hourishii
1;a in their several stages of growth, al
g that during the entire time there W
- be sufficient number of matur
- magueys to furnish about four thor
9 and gallons of pulque daily, which
-. is worth about eight cents a gallon
- it flows from the plant.
- 1t is said that over forty thousa
40 gallons of pulque are sold a
-, drank daily in the city of Mexi'
ana From the duty charged for the pri
, i lege of bringing this liquor witt
ms the corporate limits, the municiE
- treasury derives an income amour
-, ing to 81 900 per day.--Cor. lndis
NV apolis Journal
al EFFECT OF DRINKs.-The Phi
can delphia News is authority for the